1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device including a diffusion barrier layer between a III-V compound semiconductor layer and a dielectric layer, and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Compound semiconductors have two or more elements and exhibit semiconductor characteristics. For example, a GaAs compound semiconductor includes gallium (Ga) and arsenic (As), which are elements of groups III and V, respectively, in the periodic table. Semiconductor devices including III-V compound semiconductors such as GaAS may be operated at a relatively high speed because the electron mobility thereof is five or more times faster than that of semiconductor devices including silicon semiconductors. In addition, since semiconductor devices including III-V compound semiconductors can be stably operated at high temperatures, such semiconductor devices may be used in high-power devices. Furthermore, since semiconductor devices including III-V compound semiconductors can be operated in high frequency bands, such semiconductor devices may be used as millimeter-wave or microwave devices or photoelectric devices. In addition, since III-V compound semiconductors can emit light having a wavelength within the range from the infrared region to the visible light region, such III-V compound semiconductors can be included in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or semiconductor lasers capable of emitting various colors of light. Furthermore, III-V compound semiconductors consume less power than other semiconductors.
III-V compound semiconductors may have various characteristics according to the kinds and compositions of substances added thereto. However, a common characteristic of group III-V compound semiconductors is that they are relatively more easily oxidized in comparison with silicon semiconductors. For example, the surface of a group III-V compound semiconductor making contact with an oxide layer may thereby be oxidized with a resulting undesirable increase in surface roughness and in various physical/electrical defects.